Key Issues & Campaigns
In my work as a Councillor for Garendon and Ashby Wards I have dealt a wide range of issues.

Quick Health Warning: To be perfectly honest these are only a few and I have trouble keeping it all up to date. To keep up its best to subscribe to my e-news bulletin which I do every three or four months. But if you have an interest in the issues below, or would like to offer opinions or information, please write to me.

Garendon Park and the future

 For further information see: Garendon latest or email me directly.

Thorpe Acre Infants School

 We have prevented County from closing Thorpe Acre Infants School and enabled Thorpe Acre Playgroup/Nurserty onto the site. Thank you to all who raised the matter with Governors and education bosses.

School Travel for SEN pupils

 I am particularly anxious about the lack of flexibility in allocating travel assistance for children with special educational needs (SEN) and have asked the Childrens Services Scrutiny Committee to look into this.

Through Schools (11-16)

 Leics children don't do as well as they should at Key Stage 4 (GCSE) because there is a change of schools after Key Stage 3. We need to move as rapidly as we can to 'through schools'. I continue to keep in touch with the One through School group. As a recent Governor of Burleigh College I have deepened my knowledge of these important issues and value this role.

Waste Incinerator

 I am leading the campaign to find an alternative to the Tories' proposal for a massive waste incinerator in the county.

The Nursery Grant

I have led a Nursery Campaign to ensure the County Council fairly and efficiently distributes the Government grant of over £3million for 3 year olds across the County. All 3 year olds now have Free Nursery education in Loughborough as part of the Government's policy.

Local Transport Plan and sustainability

 I support transport and planning measures that don't consume resources we can't replace (eg green fields, fossil fuels and clean air).

At Charnwood we have developed the county's first Climate Change strategy and signed up to the Nottingham Declaration.

At County Council I have submitted a detailed critique to the Local Transport Plan 2006-11 This report together with the substantive report and response from officers is on the County Website under the agenda for the Cabinet meeting for 4th July 2005.

Transport: Road Safety.

I successfully campaigned for traffic calming works on Knightthorpe Road.
I am keen to see measures for improved road safety, especially for children and older people on foot and on cycles. Before responsibilities moved to the Colunty, I persuaded Charnwood BC to produce a study of road safety problems in Loughborough. This was completed in 2001.
I am keen to see safer journies to school for the large numbers of children attending schools on Thorpe Hill.
Buckingham Drive and Sandringham Drive remain a concern because of increased local traffic. Cyclists are also at risk. A HREF="trafficsafety.htm">fuller report can also be found on this site. See also: National Cycling Strategy, Roadpeace and Brake: Road Safety Campaign.

Heritage, wild and historical

 I worked with the Council to enable Roy Campsall and the Charnwood Protection of Wildlife group to convert a derelict area behind Stirling Ave (Thorpe Acre) into a wildlife sanctuary. Another has just been created on Windsor Road. The Thorpe Acre Trail and Village sign (See Thorpe Acre 2000) are completed and I have helped Robert Bakewell Community Centre to install a village sign in Dishley. After introducing the idea to them I assisted with funding applications and project planning. I am very interested in local history, generally. The next project is to refurbish the Thorpe Moors Bridge.

Litter, abandoned cars & fly tipping

 If you have any information on abandoned cars or fly tipping, please inform the Borough Council on it's call centre number 01509 634777. The Labour Government introduced a new law called the Clean Neighbourhood and Environmenmt Act which enables our Street Wardens to give on the spot fines for so-called "Envirocrimes".

County Libraries

 In 2002 we saved Hathern Library from the threat of closure and put 2Mbyte links and Internet terminals in all Libraries this year. Contact me for further details or with questions. Thank you to all who raised the petition.

Education: Modern Foreign Languages

At the Council meeting held on Sept 19th 2001 I asked a detailed question about Modern Foreign Language teaching.. The Nuffield Inquiry highlighted important deficiencies in the nation's teaching of foreign languages. There are motivational issues. There are problems of teacher and student shortage in the county which need to be tacked.
[Max Hunt] [Thorpe Acre 2000] [Old Ashby Road area] [New Ashby Road area] [Thorpe Acre & Jubilee Park] [Garendon Park] [Mount Grace] [Online Surgery] [Links] [Home]

Last updated December 2007